2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4
H2 Wheel Mod and Install
In order to install GM H2 wheels on a Dodge 3rd Gen truck, the center hole must be opened up accurately to 121.23 mm or 4.774" diameter.
Fortunately the lug bolt pattern fits the 8-lug Dodges perfectly and the OEM lugnuts fit.
The stock Dodge rims and the GM H2 rims are "hubcentric" meaning the rims are held on center on the spindle/hub by the center hole, not the lug nuts. There is only .007 diameter or .0035" per side clearance between the wheel and the spindle protrusion.
About 1/8" per side or 1/4" diameter needs to me machined out, accurately. It can be done, tires off on a lathe, or as I have done, on a milling machine buy either manually boring or using an end mill and cutting a circle with a programmable milling machine (CNC).
I set the wheel/tires up by simply clamping directly on the tire. There is no need to be concerned about flatness as the thickness being machined is only about .8 thick. Not enough
to effect perpendicularity.
The hole must be indicated (center located) to within a few thousanths.
I wrote a short program with cutter compensation to mill the circle. That way we could sneak in to the final dia.
Note the concentration required of the operator while performing this delicate process....
Old -vs- New
Before Picture
The caps need to be modified as they do not go deep enough into the new wheels
to capture the lugnuts. Approximately .900-1.00" ring needs to be removed and
the standoff spring clips need to be trimmed. Trimming the large plastic ring section
off takes some ingenuity. Some guys used a table saw against a fence and spun it.
I set mine up un a milling machine and used a slitting saw. Another guy mounted his
circular saw on the end of a table with the blade parallel to the table top, just high
enough to remove the right amount, again, turning the cap. Whichever method you
come up with, use extreme caution with power tools. Something grabs and you
could become a blood donor/recipient. WEAR GLOVES!
This is one of the clips partilly cut so you can see how much is removed.
It's not an accurate cut and can be accomplished with tin snips. Finish the cut
all the way across.
Another shot showing the differences between stock and the H2 setup.....
Final product with caps installed. It's amazing how perfect the paint color of the Dodge
caps match the GM H2 rim paint.
